Random Thoughts!

Month: October 2015

A Yankari welcome, to all the APC Progressive Governors and their Entourage. This is an epoch making event, that we in Bauchi hope will be just the beginning. For the the Bauchi Tourism stakeholder, what will we want the visitors to see and experience in Bauchi? I am sure I will not be alone to ask that they visit places than their meeting venue.

In my dreams, I will hope that:-

* The Sports Ministry will organise a special friendly novelty football match between the Progressives Governors and a team of selected Internally displaced Children at the Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Stadium.

* A Special visit to the Trauma Centre for prayers, and encourage those on admission

* If only for to make history, visit the Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Rest House in Bayara and see the show of modesty it still exudes of the Late Premier.

* The Bauchi Golf and Polo Club, organise a special outing at the Clubs for the visiting Excellences and their Guests.

* The Visitors will have a detour and visit the Industrial layout and see what their states can source from Bauchi as a substitute to India, China or Malaysia.

* The Cultural Agencies (both State and National) will bring together a cream of talents and have a command performance for this our visitors.

* That the Hospitality outfits will have their chefs join hands and bake a very big APC Progressive Governors Cake as a Welcome, please Come again gesture from the Tourism sector.

* Our Masa joints enjoy patronage and high exports from Bauchi, when the guests are leaving

* All water to be consumed, be the one from Bauchi. Yes gara su sha ruwan Bauchi, Yankari on my mind; Fariah to be precise.

* I pray the service charge of hotels and restaurants this month will be good to make Christmas worth the while.

* is that all, No. I hope we will all get to tell the Executive Governor Thank you and ask that it be repeated soon.

* My actual prayer is that Yankari will become the place, President Buhari, Osibajo, the Ministers and Governors of all states and Chief Executives of our Companies and Agencies, will start using as retreat and get away place. It can truly be the Nigeria’s version of America’s Camp David.

* Finally, I hope our Bauchi Media houses have been mobilised to show case the best of Bauchi to this our Executive Visitors.

* At the end of your Stay, Excellences, we say Bon Voyage and please come back again.

May the meeting be successful with results that will touch the generality of humanity, especially in this region. May we see the sweetness of communion and oneness amongst the leadership of our Nation and pray it trickles down to us. Again, Happy Deliberations.

I was on a transit stop, Cairo International Airport, a not too familiar face approached me. I was 6.1’ slim (athletic built, i will tease myself), might be what he saw. ‘Good morning Sir’, do you still play? Yes of cause, from time to time (Thinking he meant music). You reside in abuja, he told me categorically. How did you know? That was how the gist started. He had a shop opposite Abuja Sheraton (Zone 4), before El-Rufai’s demolitions. He is a Sports Agent. There my laughter could be heard from one end to the other of that side of the duty free shops of the Egypt Air Departure. He was talking football, while I was thinking music.

That was where, I learnt of how they deflect travellers, from especially Africa looking for greener pastures, to Europe, then through a port in Larcana. This persons are globally connected through diverse formal and informal links. The dark syndicate has infiltrated all facets of the society and their only aim is illegal trade/exchanges for gains. Call it prostitution, drugs, smuggling, arms sales, body part merchandise, sports men/women trade, money laundering name it. In the cause of our discussions, I got to know that of the 2 –5 persons that become stars in football especially, thousands have disappeared with no knowledge of their being dead or alive. But because we so celebrate this 2 – 5 persons, millions are ready to gamble their future, to either succeed or die, with no middle ground.

The case of the Trans Saharan route, was one that has been for decades, and colonies of migrants have been formed with their administrations and government. Some have started having families on transit. They cannot return home and have not reached their desired destination.

Get this, that was during the reign of relative peace, before the various hurricanes in the Maghreb. Now that the world has risen to several carnages, in different parts of the world, the need to and want to, have become so merged that you do not know where to draw the line. Europe, America, Far East / Austrasia might be looking serious now. The catastrophe is in a decade or more from now, what will be their situation in the various places they are migrating to? I will as a reason to; the times are different. Behind this need for movements from areas of crisis and poverty are masters of gain, counting their gains, as they juggle between arms, insurgencies, child, prostitution, drugs, human organ trades.

My take is, some questions to increase our resolve as Citizens of the World. What are the remote causes of people seeking to migrate from their localities? Why do some persons, spend so much resources (enough to start them comfortably, a times in their present abode), to migrate to places with unforeseen challenges/future? What can governments and leaders do to reduce migration to the minimum?

The questions will not end, but let me go more directly now, will the stay of action on militarized zones reduce IDPs / Migrations? What will the leaders need to do, to bring such to be? The mistakes of Libya, might not be far from that of Iraq, but what is the situation in Southern Sudan, Somalia, Chad and Nigeria? Syria has become a rising concern, how can we sincerely bring an end to the quagmire?

The insincerity of stakeholders is always difficult to trace, but in all cases the actual persons on the divergent divides, do not suffer from the resultant pains caused by their actions/inactions, could we start thinking of removing the causative agents and let peace be?

While we stay in thoughts, my prayer still is, like Fashola Stated, That ‘may we never reach a time when our Loyalty will be tested’. May the Almighty look at us with Benevolence and teach us to number our days, so we can apply our hearts to wisdom; that we will start looking at truly replenishing creation (not destroying it). Have a wonderful God filled week, with a thought of persons suffering, especially Children and their Mothers. If you can visit or send help anywhere near you to reduce the hardship these Children, Brothers, Sisters, Mothers and Fathers, you will experience some divine relief. Try it and share with me your story.

The list was truly a surprise, to so many for dreamt, professed names that were not called. Let’s see I hear some tell me the appointments have not finished. I hear you, but the level of adrenaline in our blood is now near High Blood (God forbid, Amen), I didn’t say Pressure, I meant High boiling point. Because, water boils at 100 degrees centigrade, but if you add salt, the boiling point increases. In so many case, salt, pepper, thyme, alligator pepper, cowries, chicken, ginger and olive oil have been added to the water (i.e holy water, zanzan water or anointing oil). Prayer houses go chop too now? It is Nasional case (National Cake) abi?

But no, we are shown the more that the President is of cause for everybody and Nobody. I did not include my name, because am sure the rains will reach us Nigerians, from where ever will fall.

For the nominated and ‘Pass NASS’ (like pass NIPSS, War College and Jaji), I pray the wind of change will bring the needed transformation and people oriented progress in your places of National Assignment. Like NYSC, those that lobby for juicy ministries will instead pray to achieve success in their assignment. For those yet to pass NASS, our prayers go with you also, that the Nays will not be like the Lai Mohammed’s portion, that enjoyed Senate President Saraki’s pseudo veto. To the many of us who are still expectant, we are still on our knees, especially for the Josephs (who though in prison had the Answer for the redemption of Egypt); The Davids (who though young was needed to kill the Goliath disturbing Israel); The Elijahs/Elishas (who declare National prophetic declarations, that came to pass, saving Israel from many woes); Like the Abraham Lincolns / PMB who tried severally failed and later succeeded as Presidents (in America, ended Slave Trade; In Nigeria bringing a ray of hope in hitherto comatose sectors like NEPA/AIRWAYS/OIL&GAS, before any spending is started). We pray for those miracle hands/persons, like the Ijebu abi na Egba lady, that seems to have the financial wisdom of Late Pa Awolowo, that made our then young Wusasa, Uncle Jack, say the egunje dey yafu yafu, we don’t know how to spend it.

May our Children and Children’s Children never go through the wastages we saw ourselves enter with our eyes open and heads in place, as if we were Nationally bewitched. May we never go back to our national vomits. God bless Nigerians and the Federal Republic.

I have heard this phrase from a very tender age, the mystery surrounding this still is all over me. As a child, some bigger boys got me into stealing sweets for exchange with kod’i a toy made of snail shell, children spin it in different styles and try to obstruct the turning shell, so that it can turn over and close the open surface to the ground in the shape of a cone. The first success, led to the second and the third, till my elder sister, caught me. She lured me into sharing my loot with her and later turned it as evidence of thievery to our father.

Daddy to me was like a deity, his eyes sees into my bones and marrow. I dare not lie to him because he already knows the truth. That was my understanding at that time. The cane was a disciplinary tool I dreaded, but dreaded more my father’s rebuke. My Father called and asked if what my elder sister said was true, like the little angel I was, I answered ‘yes’. Why? I kept silent, because exposing the other culprits will get me bullied beyond your wildest imagination, if their parents were told. I decided to take full responsibility for my action. My father’s pastoral side came on and he started telling me of God having an all seeing eyes and recording all our actions. I remember asking my father, ‘will God see me even, if it was under the bed and dark?’

With years I have come to know that Light and Darkness are same with the Almighty; in creation, we are told that the Earth was dark, void and without form. In other words, the Earth was Pitch / Thick Black, Empty and Shapeless, Order less or Chaotic. Even in that state, the Almighty was able to define it as it was because, He was able to Know, See, Understand and feel the nature/state of the earth even in the dark, void and shapeless stance. It terrified me no less to also read in the Bible that The Almighty has all around us a “cloud of witnesses”. Hebrew 12 :1 King James Bible”Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,”.

Cloud to me made better meaning with the emergence of Cloud, GRID computing, it made me see cloud as a GIGANTIC Network. So we have a very Great GIGANTIC Network of witnesses. Who are they? How do they operate? Why are they there? Keep asking, we will know in the by and by, I hear a hymn say. Have you ever heard some say, ‘they call the earth, sea or air or nature to bear witness’? Have ever heard of the blood of murdered persons cry unto the Maker from the earth? Maybe as a elementary physics student, you have studied optics and noted that a pin hole in any container is able to transmit the events (pictures) on the other side of the container. Even our doors / windows, if there is a little gap where light can come in, you are able to sight moving objects transmitted effortlessly into the room. Many more examples, are those the recorders or witnesses?

Any seeker, will live his/her life in the awe that the hidden secrets of the mind are bare before the Maker, more so what is done in the most secret hidden crevices of our societies. We are told that even things done in the dark will be brought into light. Now than ever is the time for us as a people and Nation to check our doings, so when the witnesses come in the form of Code of Conduct Bureau, Economic and Financial Crime Commission or ICPC, we will have slates clean and transparent. As we age, there is need to lay down anything that will bring or increase ones stress, as this life is worth more if you gain your soul before your wealth no matter how small. Why should you gather what you will not enjoy and other who did not suffer the gathering will come to scatter same after you?

With this cloud of witnesses, that am sure are more efficient than the Custom officers at the check points, the State Security Agencies or Intelligence Agencies, The Military or just our parents /teachers/employers. It is time for the Suicide Bombers to know that they are not hidden, for the Kidnappers to know that their secrets are soon going to be exposed, for the Arm robbers to know that a day will come for the owner. For the one sneaking in to sleep with the neighbours wife, daughter or house maid, that one be one, monkey wey go market no go come back. That the exam malpracticers, will not last long.

I hear a ministerial nominee confess, he was part of the sponsors of Kudirat radio, one day we will get to know those that burnt the Cocoa house in Ibadan and the NITEL building in Lagos. We will come to hear of the ones that Killed Dele Giwa and Bola Ige and their sponsors. The Killers of General Shuwa will stand to say who sent them. The true stories of people like Nzegwu’s reason for killing the Sardauna. But the most fearful one, am not sure how true, that more people are killed through Abortion than any war in history, those little souls will also be accounted for. The fight for right living is all encompassing and affects us all.

I pray as always, that our ends will be better than our beginnings. That we will make things right before our time to say good bye to this side of eternity. That at the end we can restfully say, we have accomplish the tasks we were assigned to do before the start of time. May it end well for us.

I have heard this phrase from a very tender age, the mystery surrounding this still is all over me. As a child, some bigger boys got me into stealing sweets for exchange with kod’i a toy made of snail shell, children spin it in different styles and try to obstruct the turning shell, so that it can turn over and close the open surface to the ground in the shape of a cone. The first success, led to the second and the third, till my elder sister, caught me. She lured me into sharing my loot with her and later turned it as evidence of thievery to our father.

Daddy to me was like a deity, his eyes sees into my bones and marrow. I dare not lie to him because he already knows the truth. That was my understanding at that time. The cane was a disciplinary tool I dreaded, but dreaded more my father’s rebuke. My Father called and asked if what my elder sister said was true, like the little angel I was, I answered ‘yes’. Why? I kept silent, because exposing the other culprits will get me bullied beyond your wildest imagination, if their parents were told. I decided to take full responsibility for my action. My father’s pastoral side came on and he started telling me of God having an all seeing eyes and recording all our actions. I remember asking my father, ‘will God see me even, if it was under the bed and dark?’

With years I have come to know that Light and Darkness are same with the Almighty; in creation, we are told that the Earth was dark, void and without form. In other words, the Earth was Pitch / Thick Black, Empty and Shapeless, Order less or Chaotic. Even in that state, the Almighty was able to define it as it was because, He was able to Know, See, Understand and feel the nature/state of the earth even in the dark, void and shapeless stance. It terrified me no less to also read in the Bible that The Almighty has all around us a “cloud of witnesses”. Hebrew 12 :1 King James Bible”Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,”.

Cloud to me made better meaning with the emergence of Cloud, GRID computing, it made me see cloud as a GIGANTIC Network. So we have a very Great GIGANTIC Network of witnesses. Who are they? How do they operate? Why are they there? Keep asking, we will know in the by and by, I hear a hymn say. Have you ever heard some say, ‘they call the earth, sea or air or nature to bear witness’? Have ever heard of the blood of murdered persons cry unto the Maker from the earth? Maybe as a elementary physics student, you have studied optics and noted that a pin hole in any container is able to transmit the events (pictures) on the other side of the container. Even our doors / windows, if there is a little gap where light can come in, you are able to sight moving objects transmitted effortlessly into the room. Many more examples, are those the recorders or witnesses?

Any seeker, will live his/her life in the awe that the hidden secrets of the mind are bare before the Maker, more so what is done in the most secret hidden crevices of our societies. We are told that even things done in the dark will be brought into light. Now than ever is the time for us as a people and Nation to check our doings, so when the witnesses come in the form of Code of Conduct Bureau, Economic and Financial Crime Commission or ICPC, we will have slates clean and transparent. As we age, there is need to lay down anything that will bring or increase ones stress, as this life is worth more if you gain your soul before your wealth no matter how small. Why should you gather what you will not enjoy and other who did not suffer the gathering will come to scatter same after you?

With this cloud of witnesses, that am sure are more efficient than the Custom officers at the check points, the State Security Agencies or Intelligence Agencies, The Military or just our parents /teachers/employers. It is time for the Suicide Bombers to know that they are not hidden, for the Kidnappers to know that their secrets are soon going to be exposed, for the Arm robbers to know that a day will come for the owner. For the one sneaking in to sleep with the neighbours wife, daughter or house maid, that one be one, monkey wey go market no go come back. That the exam malpracticers, will not last long.

I hear a ministerial nominee confess, he was part of the sponsors of Kudirat radio, one day we will get to know those that burnt the Cocoa house in Ibadan and the NITEL building in Lagos. We will come to hear of the ones that Killed Dele Giwa and Bola Ige and their sponsors. The Killers of General Shuwa will stand to say who sent them. The true stories of people like Nzegwu’s reason for killing the Sardauna. But the most fearful one, am not sure how true, that more people are killed through Abortion than any war in history, those little souls will also be accounted for. The fight for right living is all encompassing and affects us all.

I pray as always, that our ends will be better than our beginnings. That we will make things right before our time to say good bye to this side of eternity. That at the end we can restfully say, we have accomplish the tasks we were assigned to do before the start of time. May it end well for us.

As a self student of Leadership, my respect increased, for the retired General and two times President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, after reading one of his many books ‘’The Animal Called Man’’. I heard talks of a Chinese version of the book, plagiarized am sure into many more languages as at today. This is one book I wish all Nigerians especially the growing adults in Secondary and Tertiary institutions will read.

You can hate Obasanjo, but must give him due respect for the numerous efforts and labours for peace and good governance in especially Africa. The news has just stated some of his contributions as advise to President Buhari on the Boko Haram Crisis and wish to also highlight his contributions to the peaceful electioneering going on in Guinea Bissau, with the least noise in the news and social media, same goes for so many nations of Africa, that hitherto were heated up by factions and trivial issues/differences.

Southern Sudan, The Chad Basin & Central African Region, with the least mention of the Eastern and Southern African Areas. I have learnt through this very Man to celebrate a person, while alive more, so he/she can do more/better, than by gravesides or post humously.

My Prayer, is that God will increase you in Strength, Wisdom, Understanding, Knowledge, Sound Mind and Sound Health for this Generation, Continent and Generations to come. May you enjoy the fruits of your labour from now and onwards. I pray that the Good Lord, will open your eyes, mind and ways to finish the good race of life very well and divinely enhanced to be amongst the number, when the roll is called up yonder. I pray and sincerely so, that Nigerian, African leaders and people past and present will start to work towards peace at all fronts.

A former Governor jumped bail in the UK, like so many others, some known and others, being talked of. The Government that smeared him, cleared him or is it granted him amnesty? The vision of years of imprisonment resurfaced with the advent of General Buhari, now President Muhammadu Buhari and series of meetings with world leaders, brought in a new vista on the war against financial/economic corruption.

The request for the former Governor to be returned to UK for continuance of his case was gathering momentum, just to wake up to the news of his death. May God grant comfort to the family and friends, may we end up well, when our time comes.

Is this rest? Nigerian Monies are involved, monies meant for Roads, Schools, Hospitals, Salaries, Housing, Pension, Security, Orphans and Widows(ers), Infrastructure, Environment and what have you. What will happen to the monies now? Will the trial continue post humus (like in the Military)? or the case rests? I pray and hope he made his case right with his Maker before the demise, the after life is still dark for most of men. I imagine the thoughts of persons in his shoes, who alive, not yet caught or jumped bail, will be thinking now. The mind of a man, is the actual war front of life. Cardiac Arrest is now becoming increasingly rampant and medicine alone have not been able to manage cases well.

Is this rest? May be for the departed on issues concerning him directly, but the cry is not for the dead, it is for us alive. Like a Great Sage said, when being led to die, that people should cry for themselves and not for him.

An experience with a simple fracture that got complicated, is not one I will wish for my worst enemy, death though inevitable, I pray, should come at a good time for all. Being very advanced in age and having put all affairs in order and waiting for the day. But to us alive, we need to have that readiness daily as assurances are not ours to hold or give.

Personally, I will not want to hear of another demise, with cases of Accidents, London and American traverse of a serving Senator and the increasing social media talks of severe cancer management of a past minister. Could it be feasible to have a relook at a template offered by a very respected Criminology Professor Odekunle, that fair bargain option (Which I surnamed ‘’’the Zacheus Principle’’), where a person of his/her own accord will reach out to the appropriate reconciliatory agency and return a 70-80% of the loot in exchange for amnesty. This looks good, because, corruption in Nigeria is not á one person deal, it is from messenger, clerk, secretary, auditor, accountant, director, junior, middle, senior staff; it is the traditional, health, education, business, social sectors and what have you. If a person carries N10, by the time he reaches home, N3-5 must have exchanged hands. If you hold him to pay the N10 he will not be able to hold the other smaller culprits to cough out their own share. A case in mind is that of a one time Sheraton Lagos Account Staff and a Church, he mentioned purchasing a multimillion naira generator and giving huge offerings, the media sold well, am not sure they were able to recover all monies stolen.

The generic pressures of any elected / appointed office is what leads some to acquire anyhow to assuage the tides and times. Since the days of IBB have gone (with offices made to cater for their community / families), this new paradigm shift to responsible governance should factor proactive steps to halt/minimise the effect of both little and big foxes that damage the vine.

I will pray that The Buhari led Administration, will look at all cases, especially ones out of the country and see how we can recover through the must expedient means resources scattered abroad by serving and served high and middle placed officials. A look into close neighbours like Benin, Togo, Ghana, Gambia, Cameroon, Niger and Chad, will surprise you. South Africa, Namibia, Zambia, Swaziland and Zimbabwe, will amaze you. Nigerians are the number one haters of their country, they prefer any other place but home, very pathetic indeed. The Lebanese, Indian, Chinese, American, European will come to Nigeria and work to better their nations, Nigerians at home will steal from Nigeria and go to better other Nations. Some Nigerians in Diaspora, will come to Nigeria, do business here and repatriate the monies to their countries of aboard (second country in some cases) at the detriment of their Motherland. It is not so with other Nationals. I look forward to when we will start loving ourselves, before going out to love others as our selves.

I need to get to church, but let me close near where I started, what rest can a person have, ‘’If he/she gains (steals) the Whole World and then Loses his/her soul?’’ I rest my script praying that, “We who are still living, will make it right with our Maker and the people /nation around us, even if nobody knows and we are yet to be caught, I pray that we will stay in preparation for the time of departure, knows no age, race, tribe, creed or class. That we will live our remaining lives with Peace of mind and with our neighbours, that our health will be both mental, spiritual and physical. I pray that Nigeria will increasing rise beyond the troubles of today to the wonderful future our founding fathers dreamt and much more. May we see that in our days and pass same to generations we are living behind us. I hear so many say Amen. God bless and Keep Nigerians from the temptations of covetousness and deliver Nigerians from all Evils.